


Permission Granted

by TheDoctorAndRiversArmyOfPeppers



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-05-27
Packaged: 2018-11-04 02:14:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10981236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDoctorAndRiversArmyOfPeppers/pseuds/TheDoctorAndRiversArmyOfPeppers
Summary: How the Doctor got his own personal arse-kicker.





	Permission Granted

The air was warm and the stars were bright. There was a pleasant breeze, which wafted gently into their bedroom through the open balcony doors, carrying with it the song of the towers. It was the only descent 'night' they'd been blessed with for the past few months, the snowstorms still in evidence in the towers' valley.

The Doctor stood on the balcony, admiring his wife in the dim light. She was wearing a black, silk nightdress trimmed with lace, and a matching dressing gown. She was beautiful.

River slipped into his arms, snuggling into his best dressing gown, almost contentedly. He still noticed something was wrong.

"What's up?" he asked.

"After tonight, what will you do?" she asked, not expecting a proper reply.

Which was just as well, because she wasn't going to get one.

"Stuff," he forced out, his grip on her tightening.

She shut her eyes and took in a deep breath. She was going to have to fix that.

"Excuse me a second," she extracted herself from his arms. "There's something I have to check."

 

 

River found Nardole on the sofa in the living room, and quietly sat down beside him. The man put down the book he was reading and looked up at the professor with confusion.

"Nardole," she began, "I need you to do something for me."

"Anything," he sat up straight, noticing the seriousness in her voice.

"I think I'm going to die, after tonight," River told him, and his face fell. "But even if I'm not, it's still my last night with the Doctor. So, when I'm gone, I want you to keep an eye on him for me. I know he won't take losing me very well, and I don't want him to go through that alone."

"I'll be glad to, ma'am," Nardole smiled in what he hoped was a comforting way. "But are you sure you're going to die?"

He looked so sad for her, she was touched.

"I hope so."

The light died behind Nardole's eyes.

"But, ma'am..."

"My life would not be worth living without him in it. If I have to stop seeing him, I hope it's because of my death. Because then I'll have him until the end. But I am worried about him."

"I'll look after him. You have my word."

"Thank you," River got up to rejoin the Doctor, but had a thought that stopped her in her tracks. "Oh, and, Nardole?"

"Yes, Professor?" he asked her as she turned back to him.

"After I'm gone, you have full permission to kick the Doctor's arse. You're going to need it."

"Thank you, ma'am," Nardole beamed.

 

 

River stepped out onto the balcony and slipped back into her husband's arms. She sunk into him and took in his sent, a contented smile on her lips.

"Everything alright?" he asked her, concerned about her brief exodus.

"Everything's fine," she replied, taking a sip of her champagne.

He smiled, tightening his grip on her once more.


End file.
